Shortcrust pastry

• 500g organic plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 100g icing sugar, sifted
• 250g good-quality cold butter, cut into small cubes
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 large free-range or organic eggs, beaten
• a splash of milk

Sieve the flour from a height on to a clean work surface and sieve the icing sugar over the top. Using your hands, work the cubes of butter into the flour and sugar by rubbing your thumbs against your fingers until you end up with a fine, crumbly mixture. This is the point where you can spike the mixture with interesting flavours, so mix in your lemon zest.

Add the eggs and milk to the mixture and gently work it together till you have a ball of dough. Flour it lightly. Don’t work the pastry too much at this stage or it will become elastic and chewy, not crumbly and short. Flour your work surface and place the dough on top. Pat it into a flat round, flour it lightly, wrap it in clingfilm and put it into the fridge to rest for at least half an hour.

Kashmiri pumpkin curry

Kashmiri pumpkin curry (serves 4)

1.4kg pumpkin
2 small onions/ 1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
4cm fresh ginger, finely sliced
1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1tsp cumin seeds (roughly crushed)
1tsp coriander seeds (roughly crushed)
4-5 cardamom pods crushed
1tsp ground tumeric
1tsp paprika
1 cinnamon stick, halved
450ml veg stock
150ml double cream
Handful fresh coriander
50 pistachio nuts roughly chopped

Chop the pumpkin into chunks and roast with olive oil, salt and pepper
Meanwhile, finely chop and fry the onion until soft, adding garlic, chilli and fresh ginger as you go. Mix with all the dried herbs (inc cinnamon), cook briefly then stir in the stock. Season and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 mins and add the pumpkin in when it is cooked. (if pre-preparing can stop and store at this point)

When you are ready to serve, heat the mixture, adding the cream, fresh chopped coriander and nuts at the end.

Blueberry muffins

150ml milk
2 tbsp veg oil
2 eggs
225g self raising flour
150g sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
pinch of salt
100g blueberries

• Place the milk, oil and egg in a bowl and whisk to thoroughly blend. Set aside.

• Place the flour, sugar, salt and blueberries in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine well.

• Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Stir until just moistened - do not over mix

• Divide into muffin cases, sprinkle with extra sugar and bake for 20-25 mins at 200C / 400F